Council votes to place 'no trespassing' signs at Serenity Gardens

Friday

Jan 10, 2014 at 12:01 AM

NEW BEDFORD — Sparks flew across the chambers at the first City Council meeting of 2014, as councilors voted 9-2 to post 24-hour "No Trespassing" signs at Serenity Gardens, where a man was found dead on New Year's Day.

SIMÓN RIOS

NEW BEDFORD — Sparks flew across the chambers at the first City Council meeting of 2014, as councilors voted 9-2 to post 24-hour "No Trespassing" signs at Serenity Gardens, where a man was found dead on New Year's Day.

"Several years ago, Serenity Gardens was put there for the purpose of the community to grow its own vegetables and flowers and bring the property to some type of substance within the neighborhood," said Councilor-at-Large Brian Gomes. He led the call for the signs based on conversations with neighbors of the park.

"This area has become a hangout for drinking, criminal activity, drug dealing (and) late night nuisances that the neighbors just can't handle," he said.

Located at the former Morse Twist Drill site, Serenity Gardens, a 30-bed organic community garden, was unveiled in 2009.

In her first public act as City Councilor, Dana Rebeiro took the floor to oppose the measure. Representing Ward 4 where the garden is located, Rebeiro said she knocked on doors in the area and the neighbors were all opposed to the signs.

"That park brings the community together," said Rebeiro, noting she regularly walks her dog there.

"People hang out there, they talk, the families (go there) with their kids, and we shouldn't penalize the people that live there for essentially what a few people are doing that can be stopped."

The council rose in applause following Rebeiro's address — a customary response to the first speech of a new councilor. But members passed the measure 9 to 2, with Rebeiro and Councilor-At-Large Naomi Carney voting against it.

The motion asks the mayor and police chief to post signs saying "no trespassing at any time" and "no loitering at any time," in addition to increasing police patrols in the area.

Prior to the vote Carney proposed an amendment to Gomes' motion that would put dusk-to-dawn hours on the no trespassing order. With Gomes opposing, that failed 7 to 4.

After the meeting Gomes said city parks (Serenity Gardens is not designated as a park) already have no trespassing from dusk to dawn. The new signage will give police similar authority to remove loiterers from Serenity Gardens, he said, although it will apply 24 hours a day.

"The police can automatically move you and take notice," Gomes said.

Necole Reed said she's lived in the neighborhood for 37 years and she can see the site from her porch. She attended Thursday night's meeting to oppose the move.

"A lot of people are going to see that and turn away," she told The Standard-Times after the vote. "Where are we going to go? We have no place down in the South End."

Reed acknowledged that illegal activity goes on in the park. But she said it would be better dealt with by removing benches, adding street lights and boosting police patrols.

"Try putting a street light. You want them gone at night?"

John "Buddy" Andrade, executive director of Old Bedford Village, said he asked Gomes to take up the measure because "enough was enough."

"The sad part about it is it took a death for everybody to circle their wagons and try to make Serenity Gardens work, and make it what it's supposed to be versus what it's turned into," Andrade said. (There has been no information on the cause of death but officials have said they do not believe it is suspicious.)

Andrade said drug-dealing is rampant in the city — Serenity Gardens is the tip of the iceberg.

"This is one little speck, a corner of New Bedford, of what is happening three-fold all over the city."